Police act to clear drunks hot-spots in Southport

DRUNKS gathering in two town centre locations face a police crackdown.

Town centre Inspector Jim McLoughlin gave assurances on the alleged troublespots while being quizzed on local policing issues at October’s meeting of Southport Area Committee.

He pledged to increase vigilance – using either electronic or manual resources – at Eastbank Street bridge and the benches on the north end of Lord Street.

Insp McLoughlin heard at the meeting of growing concern over recent months by residents of Railway Street, which adjoins Eastbank Street bridge, about youths causing a nuisance.

Complaints have been made about teenagers shrieking, drinking and smashing bottles on the bridge and stairs access.

Raising the problem before the Area Committee was local Lib Dem activist, Tony Dawson, who relayed the residents’ demands for CCTV monitoring of the area using Southport’s town centre network of cameras.

“Do you have the power to put CCTV off the shops on (Eastbank Street) roundabout onto that spot?” Mr Dawson asked Insp McLoughlin.

The police inspector replied: “I will speak to the CCTV unit. If that’s a request being made I will have that done. I will ask to point CCTV at that particular site.”

Dukes ward councillor Les Byrom asked Insp McLoughlin what could be done about the problem of “vagrants” gathering on benches in the north area of Lord Street, drinking alcohol.

With the £3million makeover of Lord Street due to start soon, Cllr Byrom said that discussions were underway with Sefton Council officers about having the benches relocated.

Insp McLoughlin later told the Visiter that attention had been devoted to the benches since the meeting.

He said that soon afterwards a person was arrested twice in one day on Lord Street for drinking in a ‘designated area’.

The person had since appeared in court and police are “going to develop” an Anti-Social Behaviour Order against them, said Insp McLoughlin.